Tornado outbreak of May 4-6, 2020
From May 4-6, 2020 a large outbreak of tornadoes impacted the central and southern plains. Several strong tornadoes touched down, including a high-end EF4 that impacted Purcell, Oklahoma on May 5. Two additional EF3's occurred on May 5, as well, one impacting the Oklahoma City Metro area, and the other impacting the town of Wewoka after dark. Oklahoma would be impacted by two other tornado outbreaks in May 2020: one on May 22, and another during a multi-day outbreak sequence at the end of the month. Meteorological synopsis A powerful, compact shortwave trough moved over the southern plains on the morning of May 4, with a second wave waiting behind it, which would move over the area again on May 5. The Storm Prediction Center had issued an enhanced risk of severe weather over northern Texas and southwest Oklahoma three days before May 4, which was upgraded to a moderate risk for hail and tornadoes the morning of the event. With dew points in the upper 60°s and temperatures in the lower 70°s, a surface low stationed in the upper Texas Panhandle, MLCAPE of 2,000-3,000 j/Kg, and adequate shear, the atmosphere was primed for supercells on the afternoon of May 4. At 2042z, the SPC issued a tornado watch for much of northwestern Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. Supercells quickly developed, but grew upscale within an hour or two; there was too much forcing from the powerful shortwave trough. Only five tornadoes touched down that evening: four in Texas and one in Colorado. The event busted in terms of tornadoes, although very significant hail and strong straight line winds did occur over much of the risk area, with about 300 severe weather reports filing in to the SPC. After an MCS moved through Oklahoma and north Texas overnight, moisture recovered very quickly to central Oklahoma on the morning of May 5. The SPC had already delineated an enhanced risk the previous day for much of central Oklahoma, which was upgraded to a moderate risk for tornadoes the morning of May 5. A slightly weaker shortwave trough was forecast to move over the area, and the surface low was slightly stronger, sitting in extreme northwest Oklahoma. A PDS tornado watch was issued at 2109z for much of central and south Oklahoma, and supercells developed over the next two hours over that area. One particular supercell in central Oklahoma was responsible for several significant tornadoes, including an EF4 that impacted Purcell, as well as a high-end EF3 which impacted Wewoka after dark. That supercell was likely enhanced by a remnant outflow boundary left over from the MCS the previous night. 29 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma alone, with three additional tornadoes impacting north Texas. Activity continued on the afternoon of May 6, with two tornadoes touching down in Missouri. Tornado statistics ' Confirmed tornadoes May 4 Event {| class="wikitable toccolours collapsible" width="100%" ! colspan="6" |List of confirmed tornadoes - May 4, 2020 |- |' EF# || Location || County || Time of Origin (UTC) || Path length || Damage |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" |'Texas' |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'NE of Benjamin' |Knox |2134 |4.8 mi |Very limited damage occurred; no structures were impacted. Numerous trees were uprooted in the area. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'SSW of Seymour' |Baylor |2157 |1.73 mi |Brief tornado confirmed by storm chasers. Trees lost large limbs. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'Thalia area' |Foard |2239 |6.22 mi |Trees suffered light damage from this tornado. No structures were impacted. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'Burkburnett' |Wichita |0018 |4.83 mi |High-end EF1 tornado caused severe roof damage to several homes on the southern side of Burkburnett. |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" |'Colorado' |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'ESE of Eads' |Kiowa |2359 |1.12 mi |Brief landspout tornado did no damage, but was observed by both storm chasers and police. |- {| class="wikitable toccolours collapsible" width="100%" ! colspan="6" |List of confirmed tornadoes - May 5, 2020 |- |''' '''EF# || Location || County || Time of Origin (UTC) || Path length || Damage |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" |'Oklahoma' |- | bgcolor="# " | EF2 |'Okarche area' |Canadian, Kingfisher |2149 |8.17 mi |Stovepipe tornado began in northern Kingfisher County, moving NNE and damaging two farm complexes. Towards the end of the path, the tornado clipped the western half of Okarche, where the high school sustained severe damaged and numerous homes were destroyed. No one was injured. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'NW of Cashion' |Kingfisher |2200 |1.3 mi |An outbuilding sustained minor damage. A farm home lost a few shingles. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'SE of Piedmont' |Canadian, Oklahoma |2216 |4 mi |A few homes sustained minor roof and siding damage in the area. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'Mustang' |Canadian |2311 |2.21 mi |Preceded the Oklahoma City Metro EF3. Light damage occurred to several homes and businesses in Mustang. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF3 |'Southern Oklahoma City to Del City' |Canadian, Oklahoma |2326 |7.45 mi |'1 death' - this tornado did significant damage to the southern Oklahoma City Metro. It began near Will Rogers World Airport, and proceeded into densely populated neighborhoods of southern Oklahoma City. EF1 and EF2 damage was widespread along the damage path, with the most significant damage occurring in the Rancho Village and Draper Park communities, with several homes being destroyed, some at mid-range EF3 strength. This tornado prompted a tornado emergency for the Oklahoma City Metro and Del City. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF2 |'W of Elgin to SE of Fletcher' |Comanche |2328 |10 mi |This was the first tornado spawned by a long-lived, cyclical supercell responsible for several tornadoes including the Purcell EF4 and Wewoka EF3. About a dozen homes in a subdivision on the northeast side of Elgin sustained low-end EF2 damage. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF2 |'E of Tuttle to Moore' |Grady, McClain, Cleveland |2336 |11.25 mi |Well constructed homes near the Canadian River sustained high-end EF2 damage, losing their second stories or having a few exterior walls knocked down. The tornado did EF0 and EF1 damage for the remainder of the path, before lifting just as it entered the city of Moore. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'Midwest City' |Oklahoma |2341 |2.2 mi |Tornado began shortly after Oklahoma City Metro EF3 lifted. Dozens of homes sustained roof damage. One person was injured. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'NE of Acme' |Grady |0001 |2.91 mi |Sparse damage occurred. Two outbuildings sustained minor siding damage. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'NW of Perkins' |Payne |0005 |9.19 mi |A few outbuildings sustained very light damage from this tornado. It remained mostly in open areas producing minimal damage. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'Alex area' |Grady |0013 |4.08 mi |A few homes in the area sustained roof damage. After lifting, this tornado's parent supercell would cycle to produce the Purcell EF4. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF2 |'Meeker area' |Lincoln |0025 |1.19 mi |Brief yet strong tornado uprooted trees and did heavy damage to homes west of the town of Meeker. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'W of Perry' |Noble |0027 |5.03 mi |Farm equipment and outbuildings were damaged by this photogenic tornado. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF2 |'Velma' |Stephens |0039 |14.33 mi |In Velma, a supermarket and a bank were destroyed, and several houses sustained heavy damage. Several trees were snapped along the path, as well. One person was injured. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF4 |'Criner area to Purcell to W of Maud' |McClain, Cleveland, Pottawatomie |0042 |41.23 mi |'2 deaths' - violent, high-end EF4 tornado began just north of the community of Criner. The tornado immediately began uprooting trees. Moving ENE, it rapidly intensified to high-end EF3 strength leveling homes in a subdivision about five miles WSW of Purcell. One home here sustained low-end EF4 damage, being reduced to a pile of rubble. At this point, a PDS tornado warning was issued for the city of Purcell. Intense vegetation damage was noted as the tornado approached town, and wind-rowing of debris was observed during the damage surveys. Upon entering Purcell, the tornado was about 3/4 mile wide, and it reached peak intensity with estimated wind speeds of 190 mph. Several homes were swept away, although they were nailed rather than bolted to their foundations. Numerous other homes and businesses were completely destroyed in the area, and two people lost their lives. One car on the eastern side of town was thrown about a quarter of a mile into the Canadian River. EF2 damage was noted to a small community about two miles east of Purcell before the tornado entered uninhabited areas for a long distance. Hundreds of trees were debarked, snapped, or uprooted along the path. Very few structures sustained damage along the remainder of the path before the tornado lifted five miles west of Maud about an hour and ten minutes after touching down. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF3 |'WSW of Wewoka to SSE of Wetumka' |Seminole, Hughes |0226 |20.88 mi |'3 deaths' - intense, high-end EF3 tornado. Unlike the EF4 that preceded it, this tornado occurred obscured by darkness and rain. It almost immediately grew to a large wedge, and moved directly into Wewoka. Dozens of homes were destroyed, some flatted at high-end EF3 strength. One home was left with nothing but an interior bathroom. Three people were killed in the city. Trees were slightly debarked or snapped, and some had pieces of sheet metal wrapped around the trunk. The tornado then roughly moved along Wewoka Creek, continuing to do severe tree damage as it passed the community of Yeager. A few outbuildings were damaged before the tornado lifted three miles SSE of Wetumka. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF2 |'Eufaula' |McIntosh |0332 |12.39 mi |Strong tornado did significant damage to homes and businesses in Eufaula. This tornado was spawned by the same parent supercell that produced the Purcell EF4 and Wewoka EF3. Two people were injured. |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" |'Texas' |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'W of Sunset' |Montague |0010 |1 mi |Minimal damage occurred to trees just west of the community of Sunset. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'W of Valley View' |Cooke |0126 |3.48 mi |A few outbuildings were damaged. Chaser video confirmed a tornado. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'Gunter to Howe' |Grayson |0249 |6.42 mi |Trees and homes sustained light damage along the path; the tornado remained in mostly open areas. |- May 5 event {| class="wikitable toccolours collapsible" width="100%" ! colspan="6" |List of confirmed tornadoes - May 6, 2020 |- |''' '''EF# || Location || County || Time of Origin (UTC) || Path length || Damage |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" |'Missouri' |- | bgcolor="# " | EF1 |'N of Dixon to SSE of Vienna' |Maries |1728 |13.44 mi |Several trees were downed along the path. A few homes sustained roof damage. |- | bgcolor="# " | EF0 |'NW of McKittrick' |Montgomery |1811 |3.71 mi |Numerous trees lost large limbs or were toppled. |- May 6 event |- Category:Tornado outbreaks Category:EF4+ Category:EF3+ Category:Deadly Outbreaks Category:Deadly Tornadoes Category:Oklahoma Tornadoes Category:Violent Tornadoes Category:Violent outbreaks Category:Texas tornadoes Category:EF2+